Fishing lure with weed guard

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a fishing lure that has a weed guard to reduce weed collection as the lure is pulled through the water. The weed guard consists of one or more stiff metal wires disposed in areas where weeds normally collect between a fishing line attachment and a dive control lip. An additional weed control hat further reduces weed collection where the one or more stiff wires pass through the dive control lip.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of fishing lures and moreparticularly to a fishing lure with a weed guard.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Conventional fishing lures generally travel at a specific depth in thewater, depending upon various parameters, including buoyancy (e.g.,specific gravity), materials, shape, surface components and angles andthe speed at which they travel through water. One such lure described inUS Published Patent Application No. 2005/0044771 to Burggrabe describesa lure that dives to reach fish at greater depths. This published patentapplication is hereby included by reference. This, and other prior art,provide for a lure that will use aerodynamic principles to cause thelure to travel at greater depths as it is pulled through the water,e.g., during trolling. This class of lures has a specific depth at whichit travels for a given speed without a way to adjust the depth.Therefore, when moving at a specific speed, the lure will travel at acertain approximate depth, even though it may be desirable for the lureto travel at a shallower or deeper level, for instance when it is knownat which depth the target fish are traveling.

Unfortunately, some mechanisms used to help the lures of the prior arttravel at greater depths such as fins and diving lips create a problemwith weeds, in that the weeds may collect between these mechanisms andthe body of the lure or between the fishing line and the body of thelure, reducing the effectiveness of the lure.

What is needed is a fishing lure that has a weed guard for reducing weedcollection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a fishing lure with a weed guard is disclosed havinga body with a front end and a back end, a diving lip extending from thefront end, the diving lip is bonded to the lure body. There is a linereceiving loop affixed at the front end of the lure body and a linereceiving wire, the line receiving wire has a lure end and a line endand the lure end attached to the line receiving loop. One end of theweed guard wire is attached to the line end of the line receiving wireand the second end of the weed guard wire passes through a hole in thediving lip.

In another embodiment, a fishing lure with weed guard is disclosedhaving a lure body and a line receiving loop attached to a front sectionof the lure body and at least one action controlling surface bonded tothe lure body. There is at least one weed guard wire passing between theline receiving loop and the at least one action controlling surface.

In another embodiment, a fishing lure with a weed guard is disclosedhaving a lure body made of a flexible material and having a front endand a back end. Within the lure body is a bendable stay, the bendablestay providing for bending the lure body such that the lure bodymaintaining a bent shape. Also included is a diving lip extending from alower surface of the front end and bonded to the lure body and a linereceiving loop affixed to an upper surface of the front end of the lurebody. A line receiving wire with a lure end and a line end is providedwith the lure end attached to the line receiving loop. A weed guard wireis attached to the line end of the line receiving wire and has a freeend passing through a hole in the diving lip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill inthe art by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a lure of the prior art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a lure of the prior art.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 a illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of a secondembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 b illustrates a side view of a fishing lure of a third embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a back view of a treble hook of a fishing lure of thefirst three embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the top body section andbottom body section of a fishing lure of the first three embodiments ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the line attachment to a fishing lure of the firstthree embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a weight of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 illustrates the bendable stay of a fishing lure of the firstthree embodiments the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates the assembly of the first four embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a fishing lure of a fifth embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description,the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lure of the prior art is shown. The lure 102 maybe made from a hard or soft material and be stiff or flexible. A fishingline 106 is attached and weeds 108 have accumulated between the fishingline 106 and the diving lip 110. In FIG. 2, a different lure 104 isshown. The lure 104 may be made from a hard or soft material and bestiff or flexible. A fishing line 106 is attached and weeds 108 haveaccumulated between the fishing line 106 and the diving lip 110.

Referring to FIG. 3, an adjustable fishing lure 10 in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention is shown. The adjustable fishinglure 10 has a flexible upper body section 4 and a flexible lower bodysection 6. In this embodiment, the body is molded as a single piece of aflexible material. In some embodiments, the flexible material is abendable foam or elastomer such as urethane foam. In another embodiment,the body is made in two pieces, a top half and a bottom half. A divinglip 16 is affixed between the upper body section 4 and lower bodysection 6 and extends outward from the front end of the body. The divinglip 16 is bonded to the body of the adjustable fishing lure 10 by, forexample, ultrasonic welding or an adhesive such as epoxy. In someembodiments, the diving lip 16 is made of a plastic material and in someembodiments it is made of metal such as brass or copper.

A bendable stay 22 has a front end 27 and a back end 28. The bendablestay 22 passes through a hole in the upper body towards the front of theadjustable fishing lure 10 and rests between the upper body section 4and the lower body section 6 towards the middle and back of theadjustable fishing lure 10. In some embodiments, the bendable stay 22lies substantially flat between the upper body section 4 and the lowerbody section 6. The front end 27 of the bendable stay 22 extends outsidethe front of the lure where the fishing line or the lure end of a linereceiving wire 18 is attached through a line receiving loop 270 that, insome embodiments, is a hole in the front end 27 of the bendable stay 22.The back end 28 of the bendable stay 22 extends outside the back of thebody of the adjustable fishing lure 10 and has a hook receiving loop 280that, in some embodiments, is a second hole to which a hook 9 isattached. In this embodiment, a weed less hook 9 is shown with a foamrubber weed guard 8 for reducing the amount of weeds getting caught onthe hook(s) during usage. In other embodiments, a single or multi-hookis attached to the hook receiving loop 280. In some embodiments, a hook9 without a foam rubber weed guard is attached to the hook receivingloop 280. The bendable stay 22 is made of a material such as steel thatwill permit bending and hold the bent shape. Therefore, when configuredbetween the flexible upper body section 4 and the flexible lower bodysection 6, the body section will respond to bending by stayingsubstantially as bent. The bend will change the arc of the lure's backand change the adjustable fishing lure's 10 action such as keeping theadjustable fishing lure 10 on the surface or sending the adjustablefishing lure 10 below the surface to an approximate depth. In someembodiments, the bendable stay 22 is twisted approximately 90 degrees sothat the line receiving loop 270 is orientated in a vertical directionand the hook receiving loop 280 is oriented in a horizontal directionand the portion of the bendable stay 22 passing between the upper bodysection 4 and the lower body section 6 lay substantially flat betweenthe flexible upper body section 4 and the flexible lower body section 6.

The line end of the line receiving wire 18 has a loop for attaching afishing line 2. In some embodiments a weed guard wire 20 is connected tothe line receiving wire at the same loop where the fishing line 2 isattached. The weed guard wire 20 has a free end that passes through ahole in the diving lip 16. The diameter of the hole is larger than thediameter of the weed guard wire 20 so as to permit free movement of theweed guard wire 20 within the hole. The weed guard wire 20 may be keptin place by a loop 32/34 in the end that passes through the hole in thediving lip 16 or it may be kept in place by making it longer than theline receiving wire 18, long enough to prevent it from exiting the holein the diving lip 16 when the line receiving wire 18 is rotated in anydirection. In FIG. 3 a, the weed guard wire 20 is kept in place with aloop in the end at the end that passes through the diving lip 16.Although shown as a rounded loop 32, the shape can be any shape thatkeeps the weed guard wire 20 from exiting through the hole in the divinglip 16. In FIG. 3 b, the weed guard wire 20 is kept in place with a loopthat passes around the diving lip 16 and wraps around the weed guardwire at a point between the line receiving wire 18 and the diving lip16. The line receiving wire 18 is made from a stiff material thatpermits some bending, for example steel. In some embodiments, a weedguard hat 30 is provided such that the weed-guard wire 20 passes throughthe weed guard hat 30. The weed guard hat fills the L-shaped space whereby the weed guard wire 20 meets the diving lip 16, helping to reduceweed retention at this point. The weed guard hat has a holeapproximately through its center and the hole has a diameter greaterthan the diameter of the weed guard wire 20 so that the weed guard hat30 freely moves up and down on the weed guard wire 20, thereby allowinggravity to keep the weed guard hat 30 sitting upon the diving lip 16 asthe weed guard wire 20 moves up and down through the diving lip 16.

In some embodiments, a lower body weight 12 is affixed to the lower bodysection 6 to help submerge the adjustable fishing lure 10. The lowerbody weight 12 is made from a metal such as steel, copper, brass or thelike, and is bonded to the lower body section 6 with an adhesive.Although not required, it is preferred that the visible side of thelower body weight be a polished, shinny material, perhaps plated withchrome or the like, so as to attract the target fish.

In some embodiments, a weight 14 is disposed within the body of theadjustable fishing lure 10 in a cavity 26 of the lower body section 6 ofthe adjustable fishing lure 10. The weight helps to keep the adjustablefishing lure 10 submerged during use. In some embodiments, the weight 14includes a mass housed in a hard box as shown in FIG. 5, forming arattle that will make noise as the lure travels through water, therebyproviding additional stimulus to attract the target fish. The box ismade from a hard material such as plastic, for example, Styrofoamplastic.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a back view of a fishing lure of thisembodiment of the present invention is shown, detailing the weed guard 8that covers the hook 9. The weed guard 8 is made of a soft, pliablematerial such as foam rubber and covers the hook 9, in this example atriple hook, helping to prevent weeds from getting caught in the arc ofthe hook. In some embodiments, the front edge of the weed guard 8 tapersfrom front to back forming an angle that helps keep weeds from catchingon the front surface of the weed guard 8.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the top body sectionand bottom body section of a fishing lure of the first embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. The bendable stay 22 is sandwiched betweenthe top body section 4 and the bottom body section 6.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the line attachment to a fishing lure of theembodiments of the present invention is shown. In this, the front end 27of the bendable stay 22 extends far enough through the upper bodysection 4 of the adjustable fishing lure 10, exposing the line receivingloop 270 to which the line receiving wire 18 is attached. In someembodiments, the fishing line 2 is attached directly to the linereceiving loop 270 instead of having a line receiving wire 18.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a weight of a fourth embodiment of the presentinvention is shown. The weight 14 is an enclosure that is larger thanthe mass 15 and the mass 15 is disposed within the weight 14, therebypermitting the mass 15 to move freely within the weight 14, emittingsound as it hits or rubs against the walls of the rattle. The weight 14is made of a hard material such as hard plastic or metal and the mass 15is made of a heavy material such as iron or lead. In some embodiments,there are multiple, smaller masses 15.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the bendable stay of a fishing lure of thefirst three embodiments the present invention is shown. The bendablestay 22 has a front end 27 including a line receiving loop 270 forattachment of a fishing line or the line receiving wire 18. The back end28 of the bendable stay 22 has a hook receiving loop 280 for attaching ahook. In some embodiments, the bendable stay 22 has an approximately 90degree twist toward the front end 27, thereby controlling the bendingaction so that when installed within the adjustable fishing lure 10,upward or downward bending will affect the back majority of theadjustable fishing lure 10 but not affect the front minority of theadjustable fishing lure 10, making the front end 27 substantiallyvertical and the back end 28 substantially horizontal.

Referring now to FIG. 9, the assembly of the first four embodiments ofthe present invention is shown. The upper body section 4 and the lowerbody section are molded as a single piece of flexible material such as astiff foam rubber or pliable plastic, bifurcated for the installation ofthe bendable stay 22 and, in some embodiments, installation of theweight 14. In some embodiments, two pieces are used. A slit is lefttoward the front for accepting the diving tip 16 and the diving tip isbonded into the slit. In some embodiments, the bonding is done using anadhesive such as epoxy. In some embodiments, the weight 14 is insertedinto the cavity 26 next. The bendable stay 22 is then pushed through ahole in the front section of the upper body section 4 of the adjustablefishing lure 10, providing enough clearance for the attachment of afishing line or the line receiving wire 18. Now the upper body section 4and the lower body section 6 are bonded by applying an adhesive such ascontact cement to one or both inside surfaces 24/25 and applying forceto hold them against each other. In some embodiments, a lower bodyweight 12 is bonded to the lower body section 6 using an adhesive suchas epoxy. In some embodiments, the hook 9 with optional weed guard 8 isattached to the back end 28 of the bendable stay 22 which extends beyondthe back end of the body of the adjustable fishing lure 10 withsufficient clearance as to expose the hook receiving loop 280. The linereceiving wire 18 is attached to the line receiving loop 270 at thefront end 27 of the bendable stay 22 which extends beyond the front endof the body of the adjustable fishing lure 10 with sufficient clearance.In some embodiments, the weed guard 20 is inserted through the divinglip 16 and attached to a loop in the line receiving wire 18. In someembodiments, the weed guard hat 30 is placed on the weed guard 20 beforeit is inserted through the diving lip 16.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a fishing lure 50 of a fifth embodiment of thepresent invention is shown. The fishing lure 50 has an actioncontrolling surface 52, in this case a diving lip for helping to keepthe lure beneath the water surface. In other embodiments, the actioncontrolling surface 52 emanates from different surfaces of the fishinglure 50 and in some embodiments there are multiple action controllingsurfaces 52. A fishing line 6 is attached to the fishing lure 50. Asshown in the prior art in FIG. 2, weeds often catch between the fishinglure body 50 and the action controlling surface(s) 52, making thefishing lure 50 look less attractive to the target fish population. Aweed guard wire or weed guard wires 54 blocks the gap between thefishing lure 50 and the action controlling surfaces 52, thereby reducingthe opportunity for weeds to collect. In this embodiment, the weed guardwires 54 loop through the line attachment loop and pass through theaction controlling surface 52, where they are bent to keep in place. Inother embodiments, the weed guard wires 54 are clipped flush with theaction controlling surface 52. In other embodiments, the clipped weedguard wires 54 are bonded in place on the action controlling surfaceeither by welding or using a bonding agent such as epoxy.

Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above suchthat they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially thesame way for achieving substantially the same result.

It is believed that the system and method of manufacturing of thepresent invention and many of its attendant advantages will beunderstood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that itwill be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all ofits material advantages. The form herein before described being merelyexemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of thefollowing claims to encompass and include such changes.

1. A fishing lure with weed guard, the fishing lure comprising: a lurebody formed of a body material and the lure body having a front end anda back end; a diving lip extending from the front end, the diving lipbonded to the lure body; a line receiving loop affixed at the front endof the lure body; a line receiving wire, the line receiving wire havinga lure end and a line end, the lure end attached to the line receivingloop; a weed guard hat, the weed guard hat having a bell shape with asmaller diameter at a top area and a larger diameter at a bottom areaand a hole passing from the top area to the bottom area; and a weedguard wire, wherein a first end of the weed guard wire is attached tothe line end of the line receiving wire and a second end of the weedguard wire slideably passes through the hole in the weed guard hat andslideably passes through a hole in the diving lip so the weed guard wireis allowed to move freely through the hole in the diving lip, whereinthe weed guard wire has a loop formed at the free end to keep the weedguard wire from exiting the hole in the diving lip.
 2. The fishing lurewith weed guard of claim 1, further comprising a hook receiving loopaffixed to the back end of the lure body and at least one hook affixedto the hook receiving loop.
 3. The fishing lure with weed guard of claim1, further comprising a lower body weight bonded to a bottom side of thelure body, wherein the lower body weight comprises a shiny material forattracting fish.
 4. The fishing lure with weed guard of claim 1, furthercomprising a weight disposed within a cavity within the lure body. 5.The fishing lure with weed guard of claim 4, wherein the weight is in ahard plastic box containing a mass, the mass being free to move withinthe hard plastic box to make noise.
 6. The fishing lure with weed guardof claim 1, wherein a bendable stay is disposed within the lure body andthe body material is a bendable elastomer.
 7. A fishing lure with weedguard, the fishing lure comprising: a lure body formed of a bodymaterial and the lure body having a front end and a back end; a divinglip extending from the front end, the diving lip bonded to the lurebody; a line receiving loop affixed at the front end of the lure body; aline receiving wire, the line receiving wire having a lure end and aline end, the lure end attached to the line receiving loop; a weed guardwire, wherein a first end of the weed guard wire is attached to the lineend of the line receiving wire and a second end of the weed guard wireslideably passing through a hole in the diving lip so the weed guardwire is allowed to move freely through the hole in the diving lip; and aweed guard hat, the weed guard hat bell shaped having a smaller diameterat a top area, having a larger diameter at a bottom area and having acenter hole, the center hole having a diameter greater than the diameterof the weed guard wire, the weed guard wire passing through the centerhole wherein the bottom area is positioned towards the diving lip. 8.The fishing lure with weed guard of claim 7, further comprising at leastone hook affixed to a loop on the back end of the lure body.
 9. Thefishing lure with weed guard of claim 8, wherein the at least one hookis a weed less hook.